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DVD Picks

STARGATE: SG1 - Fox

A team of explorers travel through an alien device called
the Stargate taking them to other worlds where they
encounter different races and amazing technology. Season
nine basically puts the team against their greatest enemy*.
The Ori. Ben Browder plays Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell
leading the team into the pathway of the Ori as they are
bent on Universal domination. With the help of Vala (Claudia
Black) and the rest of the SG-1 team, a plan must be made to
stop the Ori at all cost. This season has its ups and downs
compared to previous seasons. The team is different with
Browder and Black, not that this is a bad thing, it is just
different. There is more slapstick humor than previous
seasons and the overall stories are tending to ramble. It is
obvious that the show is in its closing stages. Who can
blame them seeing as this show is the longest surviving
sci-fi in the history of Television. Some of the seasons
highlights include the two-part opener titled *Avalon* where
Jackson and Valla are joined by alien bracelets and
transported to a world dominated by the Ori. We also have
another two-part episode titled *The Fourth Horseman*
dealing with a deadly Ori plague. The final episodes of this
season bring the Arthur Grail Quest into the picture as
Daniel and Mitchell race against time to find the ultimate
weapon that will neutralize the Ori forever. The DVD
contains all 20 episodes on five discs presented in
Widescreen Format and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. Extras
include behind-the-scenes featurettes, Photo Galleries and
Commentary on selected episodes. The packaging is very
colorful with an episode synopsis on the back of each
volume. Complete your collection today with this sci-fi
classic.

X-MEN: THE LAST STAND - Fox

The X-Men, mutant heroes sworn to defend
a world that hates and fears them, are back! This time, with
the help of new recruits The Beast and Angel, they must face
evolution itself in the form of their former teammate, Jean
Grey. Possessed with the cosmic power of the Dark Phoenix,
the resurrected Jean Grey has become a danger to herself,
her mutant comrades, and the entire planet. To stave off
this imminent threat to humanity, a potential cure is
discovered and processed to treat -- and ultimately
eliminate -- genetic mutations, once and for all. This final
installment of the X-Men series is absolutely amazing. The
whole trilogy is stunning and really gives credit to the
characters making for one of the finest superhero films of
all time. The whole cast is back, led by Hugh Jackman as
Wolverine. In this installment, we see characters die and
minor roles turning into major ones. The overall story is
quite good but there is so much information in this film, I
felt like I was being cramed with plot to the point of
overkill up to the conclusion of the picture. The script
wasn*t as strong as the second film, but still answered all
of our questions about the show with a few surprises. The
addition of Beast played by Kelsey Grammer made this film
that much better adding much to the chemistry of the
characters and the storyline. There were so many cameos of
other mutants that I found myself having to watch this film
twice to get them all pointed out. The music score by John
Ottman is outstanding and adds much to the overall film.
Effects and casting made this film great, but the overall
script was weaker than the other two films. Maybe they
should have made this film into two separate movies? In
saying that, I still enjoyed this film very much and
recommend the trilogy to anyone. The DVD presents this film
in Widescreen format with Dolby Digital 5.1 and 6.1
surround. Extras in this set include Audio Commentary with
Director Brett Ratner and Screenwriters Zak Penn and Simon
Kinberg. There is also producer commentary, deleted scenes
and three alternate endings with optional commentary.

G.I. JOE: SIGMA SIX FIRST STRIKE - Paramount

G.I. Joe has been the Real American Hero
for over twenty years, and is now jumping into the 21st
Century with both feet forwards. Showing in half hour
blocks, the producers promise a solid continuity throughout
the episodes, starting off with the ever-popular five-part
miniseries much as the animated series of the 80’s used to
do. I used to watch G.I. Joe when I was a kid everyday after
school. All of us collected the toys and sang the theme song
even if we don*t want to admit it. Sigma 6 is a step into
the next generation of the G.I. Joe franchise with new
stories and stellar animation. Everything is aiming towards
*anime* and this is no exception. The overall tone of the
show is more urban than the ones from the 80s and the plots
are more sophisticated in this new show. I still enjoy the
campy *YO JOE* from the old show as well as the older
animation, but this new show has promise. The toy line is
back up and running with old and new toys and kids are able
to see the both sets of shows on DVD. What a treat for them
and all of us. This DVD presents the entire 90 minute *First
Strike* presented in Full Screen format with Dolby Digital
sound. Extras include Art Galleries, Sigma Files and TV
Episode Animatics. If you liked the older show, this one
will be interesting to watch and compare.

CSI MIAMI: Season Four - Paramount

CSI: MIAMI introduces a new cast of crime
fighters operating from a forensics lab unit in the tropical
climes of southern Florida. David Caruso anchors the series
as tortured homicide detective Horatio Caine, who leads an
investigative team that includes a Southern-belle ballistics
expert, Calleigh Duquesne (Emily Procter); an underwater
recovery expert, Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez); a no-nonsense
coroner, Alexx Woods (Khandi Alexander); and an idealistic
cop, Ryan Wolfe (Jonathan Togo). While sharing its parent
show’s penchant for grisly crime reenactments, the spinoff
places more emphasis on police work than science, and boasts
a flashier cinematographic style that befits its sun-kissed
and stylish Miami locale. This collection presents all 25
episodes of the series’ fourth season. CSI is one of the
most incredible series currently on television. If you
aren’t currently a fan, check it out. I guarantee you will
like this show.

OVER THE HEDGE - Dreamworks

Just whose backyard is it, anyway? Spring
has sprung, and Verne and his woodland friends awaken from
their long winter’s nap to discover that a tall, green
“thing” has mysteriously cropped up right through the middle
of their home. Enter RJ, an opportunistic raccoon, who
explains that the world beyond the hedge is the “gateway to
the good life” where peculiar creatures called humans live
to eat, rather than eat to live. Suspicious and even a
little jealous of RJ, the ever-cautious Verne wants to keep
his blended family safely on their side of the hedge. But,
proving the adage that one man’s garbage is another man’s*or
rather animal’s*treasure, the manipulative RJ tries to
convince the woodland band that there is little to fear and
everything to gain from their over-indulgent new neighbors.
Eventually, RJ and Verne form an unlikely friendship as they
learn to co-exist with*and even exploit*this strange new
world called suburbia. OVer the Hedge is one of the funniest
films of the year and is definately a must own dvd.